Datasheet

Figure 1-11: A page of text with a fluid width. Seems
quite manageable at a narrow width, doesn’t it?
Figure 1-12: The same fluid block of text, but at a larger screen resolution. The line
lengths have become unmanageable and are difficult to scan.
Furthermore, the lack of control over the content area’s width can be difficult to balance when placing
fixed-width elements within it. When a Web designer knows the physical dimensions of the page, then
graphics can be designed specifically to fit within that space. Even the staunchest fluid-width proponents
are envious of their fixed-width comrades’ ability to place a perfectly sized graphic across the top of a
content area. Most liquid designers are forced to use graphics of an arbitrary width, which could break the
layout as the window becomes infinitely small.
Richard Rutter, Web designer and proponent of liquid layouts, has published a number of experiments
with placing wide images within a fluid-width container (
http://clagnut.com/blog/268/). He
proposes a number of interesting CSS workarounds that may be of interest to those pursuing liquid
layouts.
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The Planning and Development of Your Site
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